Hinged floor rack for freight cars



July 9, 1957 Q |NGRAM 2,798,250

HINGED FLOOR RACK FOR FREIGHT CARS Filed Jan. 21, 1955 I 3 Sheets-Sheetl IN VENTOR ORVILLE INGRAM BY flax-l,

July 9, 1957 o. INGRAM HINGED FLOOR RACK FOR FREIGHT CARS 3 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Jan. 21, 1955 INVENTOR ORVILLE INGRAM M MJFJAITTORNEYA y 1957 o.INGRAM HINGED FLOOR RACK FOR FREIGHT CARS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan.21, 1955 IHIIIIII INVENTOR INGRAYM ATTORNEYS ORVILLE United StatesPatent HIN GED FLOOR RACK FOR FREIGHT CARS Orville Ingram, Alexandria,Va., assignor to Unitcast Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio Application January 21, 1955, Serial No. 483,401 12 Claims. (Cl.16-174) This invention relates to hinged floor racks for use in railroadfreight cars and more particularly'to floor racks for refrigerator carsand the like which may be raised for cleaning the underlying floor.

In United States Patent No. 2,672,645, issued March 23, 1954, to OrvilleIngram and Norman T. Anderson, there is disclosed a pintle type hingefor use on fioor racks of refrigerator cars and the like. This patentdiscloses a hinge including a pair of hinge elements which arerespectivelyattached to the car structure and to the pivotally movablefloor rack. The hinge element connected to the car structure includesprojections having cup-like pintle receiving recesses which are adaptedto receive pintle members carried by the hinge element con nected to thepivotally movable floor rack. The hinge element having the pintlemembers is provided with arcuate wing portions spaced from the pintleswhich cooperate with the pintle receiving projections of the other hingeelement in such manner as to prevent disengagement of the two hingeelements until the floor rack has been rotated through a predeterminedangular displacement from a horizontal position.

The conventional refrigerator car is provided with a plurality of floorrack sections each having a pair of hinge members connecting therespective floor rack section to the car structure. The floor racksections which are positioned adjacent the center door of therefrigerator car are provided in the region of the door opening with anend section which is pivotally connected to the remaining or mainportion of the floor rack section.

The hinges which connect the floor rack to the car structure are bothconnected inwardly of the door opening and in spaced relation to thepivotally connected end section of the floor rack. This offset relationof the end floor rack section with respect to the hinges provides anunsymmetrical distribution of weight with respect to the hinges, whenthe floor rack is being raised to a vertical position. As a result itfrequently happens that the unbalanced weight of the floor rack causesthe pintle members of the hinge spaced farthest from the door to liftout of their associated pintle receiving recesses. This tendency of thehinge elements spaced away from the door to separate from each otherupon elevation of the floor rack to a vertical position is anundesirable characteristic which often causes inconvenience.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a hinge foruse with floor racks in refrigerator cars and the like which preventsunintended separation of the hinge elements due to an unsymmetricaldistribution of the weight of the floor rack with respect to the hinges.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a hinge particularlyuseful with a refrigerator floor rack of the type which includes an endrack section pivotally connected to the main portion of the rack in theregion of the car door and causing an unsymmetrical distribution of thefloor rack weight with respect to the hinges.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a pair of hinges forattaching a floor rack to a refrigerator car and the like, andparticularly a floor rack whose weight is unsymmetrically distributedwith respect to the hinges, in which two spaced hinge members cooperateto provide a latching action which prevent unintended separation of thehinge elements of one of the hinges and also to prevent any relativeaxial movement of the floor rack and the hinge elements connectedthereto with respect to the hinge elements connected to the carstructure.

In achievement of these objectives, this invention provides a hingemember for connecting a floor rack to a car structure which is generallysimilar to that disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,672,645, Ingramet al., but in which the total length of the pintle-receiving recessesof the hinge element which is connected to the car structure is madelonger that the overall length of the pintles which they receive inorder to permit a relative axial movement of the pintles with respect tothe pintle-receiving recesses when the floor rack is being placed inengagement with the hinge elements attached to the car structure.Further, the pintle-carrying hinge element is provided with a lug-likeprojection which engages a projection of the mating hinge element insuch manner as to prevent unintended detachment of the two mating hingeelements with respect to each other when the floor rack is in verticalposition. The hinge member just described is disposed at the far end ofthe floor rack away from the door opening and away from the end floorrack section which causes the unsymmetrical weight distribution. Thehinge which is positioned adjacent the door opening or nearest to theunsymmetrical end section of the floor rack is of the same type asdisclosed in United States Patent No. 2,672,645 in which the pintlereceiving recess of one of the hinge elements is of just sufficientlength to receive the pintle member of the other hinge element. By usingin combination a hinge of the modified type in accordance with theinvention of the present application and a hinge of the type disclosedin Patent No. 2,672,645, Ingram et al., unintended detachment of thehinge elements with respect to each other and also axial movement of thefloor rack and the hinge elements connected thereto with respect to thestationary hinge elements is prevented.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view, partially in section,illustrating the orientation of the floor racks with respect to therefrigerator car;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view, partially in section,illustrating the hinges and their connections to the floor rack and tothe car structure;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in vertical section along line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the hinge inaccordance with the invention with the hinge elements being shownconnected to the floor rack and to the car wall respectively;

Fig. 6 is a view in vertical section along line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view in vertical section along line 77 of Fig. 5; and

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are perspective views showing the sequential movementsof the hinge elements as the hinge elements carried by the floor rackare being moved into engagement with the hinge elements connected to thecar structure.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, there isshown a floor rack generally indicated at 20 disposed within arefrigerator car and including a main floor rack section 22 and an endsection 24. End section 24 is pivotally connected to main rack section22 by means of suitable hinge members 26. Floor rack 29 is disposedadjacent door 28 of the refrigerator car. The inside lining of the caris indicated at 30 and the insulated wall of the car is indicated at 32.An air wall lining 34 extends in spaced relation to inner lining 30 toprovide a ventilating duct which facilitates circulation of air in thecar. The lower end of air wall lining 34 terminates a short distanceabove the upper surface of the floor rack (see Fig. 4).

Floor rack 20 is hinged to the car structure by a pair of spaced hingemembers generally indicated at 36 and 38. Hinge 36 is connected to theend of rack section 22 which is nearest to door 28 while hinge 38 isconnected to the end of rack section 22 which is spaced away from door28. Hinge 36 is of the same type as that disclosed in Patent No.2,672,645, Ingram et al., and will not be again described in detail.Hinge 38 is in general similar to hinge 36 but is modified in severalimportant respects in accordance with the invention.

Hinge 38 includes a female hinge element generally indicated at 40 whichis rigidly connected to the car structure and more particularly to asill member 42 which extends lengthwise of the car adjacent insidelining 30. Hinge 38 also includes a male hinge element generallyindicated at 44 which is rigidly connected to fioor rack section 22.

Hinge element 40 includes a pair of spaced vertically extending plateportions 46 to which are connected a pair of laterally extendingparallel web members 48 and 49 which support a generally T-shapedhorizontally extending upper plate generally indicated at 50. Plate 50includes a straight portion 52, corresponding to the stem of the T, andtwoplate portions 53 and 54 lying in the same plane as portion 52 andtogether forming the head or cross-piece of the T. Connected to theforward or innermost edge of plate portion 50 and extending verticallydownwardly therefrom is a web member 55 which defines the rear wall oftwo cup-like pintle-receiving projections 56 and 58 which arerespectively attached to the plate portions 53 and 54. The outersurfaces 60 of projections 56 and 58 having the pintlereceiving recessesare of arcuate shape. Projections 56 and 58 are spaced from each otherto provide a slotlike opening 62 which receives a web member attached tothe mating hinge element.

Plate portion 54 is substantially wider than plate portion 53 in thedirection which extends longitudinally of the car and is provided with aprojection 64 lying in the same plane as plate portion 54 and whichextends laterally inwardly of the car for a short distance; saythree-quarters of an inch, for example, beyond the edge of cup-likeprojections 56 and 58.

A portion of the outer peripheral surface of projec tion 56 adjacentslotted opening 62 is cut away as indicated at 66 (Fig. to a level onlyslightly above the bottom inside surface of the pintle-receiving recessto permit axial movement of the mating hinge element, as will bedescribed later. Also, a portion of the vertical web 48 is cut awayasindicated at 57 (Fig. 8) where end of the upper edge of web 74, pintles78 and 79 ex- Y tending substantially equal distances on either side ofweb 74. A pair of arcuate wing portions 80 and 82 extend on either sideof Web 74 and radially outwardly of the respective pintles 78 and 79.The arcuate surfaces of wing portions 80 and 82 extend substantiallyparallel to the arcuate surfaces of the pintles but in spaced relationthereto. Wing portion 82, which lies on the side of the hinge elementdisposed farthest from the door when the rack is positioned in the car,is provided with a lug-like extension 84 which projects longitudinally ashort distance; say one-half inch, for example, be yond the remainingportion of wing 82.

When hinge elements and 44 are in assembled relation with each other,lug 84 on hinge element 44 underlies the arcuate surface ofpintle-receiving projection 58 when the floor rack is in horizontalposition. When the floor rack is moved to a vertical position, lug 84underlies projection 64 of plate portion and thereby prevents unintendedseparation of the hinge elements 40 and 44 due to an unsymmetricalweight distribution of the floor rack with respect to hinge members 36and 38.

Floor rack 20 is positioned in hinged relation with respect to the hingeelements connected to the car structure in the manner best illustratedin Figs. 8, 9 and 10 which show the sequential movements of the hingemembers while moving into engagement with each other. The floor rack ispositioned in engagement with the hinge elements connected to the carstructure in the folit joins the lower surface of projection 58 toaccommodate a lug-like extension on the mating hinge element to bedescribed hereinafter.

Hinge element 44 which is connected to floor rack section 22 is providedwith a vertically extending plate portion 70 which is connected by bolts72 to a longitudinally extending stringer forming a part of floor racksection 22.

A vertically extending web member 74 extends laterally from plateportion 70 substantially midway of the length thereof. A horizontalplate portion 76 extends laterally toward the outside of the car fromthe upper edge of plate 70, plate portion 76 being connected to theupper edge of vertical web 74 but terminating short lowing manner: withthe floor rack in a vertical plane and tilted upwardly toward the door,pintles 78 and 79 of the hinge element 40 of hinge 38 are positioned inthe pintle-receiving recesses formed by the cup-like projections 56 and58. The end of pintle 78 which is nearest the door is positionedsubstantially in abutting relation to the end wall of thepintle-receiving recess of projection 56 as best seen in Fig. 8. Duringthis portion of the engagement cycle, pintles 78 and 79' of hinge member36 nearest the door are not seated in their correspondingpintle-receiving recesses but pintle 78' is resting with one of its endson the upper surface of plate portion 53 of the T-shaped upper plateportion 50 of female hinge element 44'. With the hinge elements in theposition shown in Fig. 8, the floor rack is slid longitudinally awayfrom the door to cause pintles 78 and 79 to slide within thepintle-receiving recesses of hinge element 44 until the end of pintle 79which is farthest from the door abuts the end wall of pintle-receivingrecess 58. Pintle 78 will then be in spaced relation to the innersurface of pintle-receiving recess 56 as best seen in Figs. 2, 5, 9 and10. The movement of pintles 78 and 79 longitudinally along thepintle-receiving recesses formed by cup-like projections 56 and 58permits the pintles 78 and 79 of hinge element 49 to drop down into thepintle-receiving recesses of hinge element 44' as best seen in Fig. 9.When this occurs, the floor rack may then be rotated downwardly from avertical to'a horizontal position to finally assume the position shownin Fig. 10.

When the hinge elements 40 and 44 of the hinge member 38 and the hingeelements 40' and 44' of the hinge member 36 have finally assumed theposition shown in Fig. 10, the lug '84 which extends from wing 82 ofhinge element 40 then underlies the arcuate outer surface 60 of thecup-like projection 58 0f hinge element 44.

With the hinge elements of the respective hinges 36 and 38 engaged asshown in Figs. 1-7, 9 and 10 of the drawings, when the floor rack israised to a vertical position,

dredged the presence of projecting lug 84 under the plate portion 64 ofhinge element 44 prevents unintended separation of pintles 78 and 79from the pintle-receiving recesses of hinge element 44 due to theunsymmetrical Weight distribution caused by the presence of the endfloor rack section 24. Furthermore, the pintle-receiving recesses andthe pintles of the hinge member 36 nearest the door are so proportionedas to permit only a slight degree of axial movement of the pintlesWithin the pintle-receiving recesses once the pintles have seated, thisaxial movement being insuflicient to disengage projection 84 fromlocking engagement with the projection 64. Thus, the use of a hinge ofthe type disclosed in Patent No. 2,672,645, Ingram et al., incombination with a hinge of the modified type described in thisapplication provides a locking action which maintains the cooperatinglocking elements 64 and 84 in proper engageable relation unless thefloor rack is intentionally moved to a position in which these membersare no longer engageable.

In order to remove the floor rack from engagement with the stationaryhinge elements attached to the car structure, it is necessary to reversethe movements shown in Figs. 8-10, inclusive, in which the floor rackwas being moved into hinged position. Thus, in removing the floor rack,the floor rack is pivotally moved to vertical position and tiltedupwardly at the end adjacent the door in order to permit raising pintles78' and 79' from the pintle-receiving recesses of hinge 36. The floorrack is then slid longitudinally toward the door with the pintle 78'riding along the plate portion 53 of hinge element 44'. This permitspintles 78 and 79 to slide axially along the pintle-receiving recessesof hinge element 44 until projection 84 clears the projecting plateportion 64 on hinge element 44. The pintles 78 and 79 may then be liftedclear of the pintle receiving recesses of the projections 56 and 58.

It can be seen from the foregoing that there is provided in accordancewith this invention an improved hinge particularly useful for the hingedconnection of a floor rack having an unsymmetrical distribution ofweight. With respect to its supporting hinges, the locking actionprovided by the cooperation between the projection on thepintle-carrying hinge element with the projecting plate portion of themating hinge element prevents unintended separation of the hingeelements disposed away from the door when the floor rack is beingraised. Furthermore, when a hinge member of the modified type inaccordance with the invention is used in conjunction with a hinge memberof the type disclosed in Patent No. 2,672,645, Ingram permit anunlocking engagement of the locking elements just mentioned isprevented.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of theinvention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variouschanges and modifications may be made therein without departing from theinvention and, therefore, it is aimed to cover all such changes andmodifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A refrigerator car floor rack hinge comprising in combination firstand second hinge elements for attachment to the car structure and to thefloor rack structure, respectively, said first hinge element including afirst supporting portion attached to the car structure and projectinglaterally toward the interior of said car, a pintlesupporting projectioncarried by said portion and comprising an upwardly open pintle-receivingrecess, a plate portion extending laterally from said projection towardthe interior of the car, said second hinge element including a secondsupporting portion connected to said floor rack and projecting alterallytoward the exterior of said car, horizontally extending pintle meanscarried by said second supporting portion and seated in saidpintle-receiving recess, means extending laterally from at least onesurface et al., any axial movement which might of said second supportingportion and underlying said pintle-supporting projection during apredetermined angular movement of said floor rack from a horizontalposition, an extension carried by said second hinge element andunderlying said plate portion when said floor rack is in a verticalposition to prevent upward vertical movement of said pintle means fromsaid pintle-receiving recess when said extension underlies said plateportion, said pintle-receiving recess being longer than said pintlemeans to permit longitudinal sliding of said pintle means along saidrecess whereby said extension may clear said plate portion to permitupward vertical movement of said pintle means.

2. A refrigerator car floor rack hinge comprising in combination firstand second hinge elements for attachment to the car structure and to thefloor rack structure, respectively, said first element including a firstsupporting portion attached to the car structure and projectinglaterally toward the interior of said car, a pintle-supportingprojection carried by said portion and comprising a cup-like upwardlyopen pintle-receiving recess having an arcuate pintle-supporting surfaceand an arcuate outer surface, a plate portion extending laterally fromsaid projection toward the interior of the car, said second elementincluding a second supporting portion connected to said floor rack andprojecting laterally toward the exterior of said car, horizontallyextending pintle means carried by said second supporting portion andseated in said pintle-receiving recess, said pintle means having anarcuate outer surface, a wing portion extending laterally from at leastone surface of said second supporting portion, said wing portion havinga radially inner arcuate surface spaced radially outwardly of saidarcute outer surface of said pintle means, said Wing portion having alongitudinal extension underlying the arcuate outer surface of saidpintle-supporting projection, said extension underlying said laterallyextending plate portion when said floor rack is raised to verticalposition to thereby prevent upward vertical movement of said pintlemeans from said pintle-receiving recess when said extension underliessaid plate portion, said pintle-receiving recess being longer than saidpintle means to permit longitudinal sliding of said pintle means alongsaid recess whereby said extension may clear said plate portion topermit upward vertical movement of said pintle means.

3. A refrigerator car floor rack hinge comprising in combination firstand second hinge elements for attachment to the car structure and to thefloor rack structure respectively, said first element including asupporting portion attached to the car structure and extending laterallytoward the interior of said car, a pintle-supporting projection carriedby said supporting portion having an arcuate outer surface andcomprising a cup-like upwardly open pintle-receiving recess having anarcuate pintle supporting surface, a laterally extending plate portionextending from said pintle-supporting projection toward the interior ofthe car, said second hinge element including a web portion attached tosaid floor rack and extending laterally toward said first hinge element,horizontally extending pintle means carried by said web portion andseated in said pintle-receiving recess of said first hinge element, awing portion extending laterally from said web portion, said wingportion having a radially inner arcuate surface spaced radiallyoutwardly of said arcuate outer surface of said pintle means, said wingportion having a longitudinal extension underlying the arcuate surfaceof said pintle-supporting projection, said longitudinal extensionunderlying said laterally extending plate portion when said floor rackis raised to vertical position to thereby prevent upward verticalmovement of said pintle means from said pintle-receiving recess whensaid extension underlies said plate portion, said pintle receivingrecess being longer than said pintle means to permit longitudinalsliding of said pintle means along said recess whereby said extensionmay clear said plate portion to permit upward vertical movement of saidpintle means.

4. A refrigerator car floor rack hinge comprising in combination firstand second bracket members for attachment to the car structure and tothe floor rack structure respectively, said first member having a firstplate portion for attachment to a vertical wall of said car structure, afirst vertically extending web portion carried by said first plateportion and extending from said first plate portion toward the interiorof said car, substantially horizontally extending aligned spacedprojections carried by said first web portion, said projections havingan arcuate outer surface and comprising a cup-like upwardly openpintle-receiving recess having an arcuate pintlesupporting' surface, alateral plate portion extending from one of said projections toward theinterior of the car, said second member having a second plate portionfor attachment to said floorrack, a substantially vertical second webportion carried by said second plate portion and extending between saidspaced projections of said first member, horizontally extending pintlemeans carried by said second web portion and seated in saidpintle-receiving recess, said pintle means having an arcuate outersurface, a wing portion extending laterally from at least one surface ofsaid second web portion, said wing portion having a radially innerarcuate surface spaced radially outwardly of said arcuate outer surfaceof said pintle means, said wing portion having a longitudinal extensionunderlying the arcuate surface of said one projection, said longitudinalextension underlying said laterally extending plate portion to therebyprevent upward vertical movement of said pintle means from saidpintle-receiving recess when said extension underlies said plateportion,

said pintle-receiving recess being longer than said pintle means topermit longitudinal sliding of said pintle means along said recesswhereby said extension may clear said plate portion to permit upwardvertical movement of said pintle means.

5. A refrigerator car floor rack hinge comprising in combination firstand second bracket members for attachment to the car structure and tothe floor structure, respectively, said first member having a firstplate portion for attachment to a vertical wall of said car structure, afirst vertically extending web portion carried by said first plateportion and extending laterally from said first plate portion toward theinterior of said car, substantially horizontally extending alignedspaced projections carried by said first web portion, said projectionshaving an arcuate outer surface and comprising a cup-like upwardly openpintle-receiving recess having an arcuate pintle-supporting surface,said second member having a second plate portion for attachment to saidfloor rack, a substantially vertically extending second web portioncarried by said second plate portion and extending between said spacedprojections of said first member, horizontally extending pintle meanscarried by said second web portion and seated in said pintle-receivingrecess, said pintle means having an arcuate outer surface, a wingportion extending laterally from at least one surface of said second webportion, said wing portion having a radially inner arcuate surfacespaced radially outwardly of said arcuate outer surface of said pintlemeans, said radiallyinner arcuate surface being adapted to move in anarcuate path adjacent and radially outwardly of the outer surface of atleast one of said projections for at least 45 degrees angular rotationof said floor rack structure from a horizontal position when said floorrack is rotated on said pintle means about a horizontal axis, anextension connected to said wing portion and adapted to underlie theouter surface of one of said projections, and a laterally extendingplate portion carried by a projection of said first member adjacent theupper edge thereof and extending toward the interior of the car, saidextension on. said wing portion engaging said laterally extending plateportion when said floor rack is raised to vertical position to therebyprevent upward vertical movement of said pintle means from saidpintlereceiving recess when said v portion, said pintle-receivmg recessbeing longer than said pintle means to permit longitudinal sliding ofsaid' pintle means along said recess whereby said extension may clearsaid plate portion to permit upward vertical movement of said pintlemeans. a

t 6. A refrigerator car floor rack hinge comprising in combination firstand second hinge members spaced apart longitudinally-of said rack, each'of said hinge members including a first hinge element attached to thecar'structure and a second hinge element attached to the floor rack,each of said first hinge elements comprising an upwardly openpintle-receiving means, a first abutment means extending laterallytoward the interior ofthe car from the pintle-receiving means of saidsecond hinge member, each of said second hinge elements including ahorizontally extending pintle means seated in a correspondingpintle-receiving recess of the pintle-receiving means of a first hingeelement,,the pintle-receiving recess of said second hinge member beinglonger than the pintle received in said recess to permit substantialaxial movement of the pintle within said pintle-receiving recess, thepintle-receiving recess of said first hinge member being ofsubstantially the same length as its corresponding pintle, and acooperating abutment means extending from said second hinge element ofsaid second hinge member and adaptedlto underlie said first abutmentmeans when said floor rack is in vertical position to prevent unintendeddetachment of said hinge elements of said second hinge member when saidfloor rack is in a vertical position.

7. A refrigerator car floor rack hinge comprising in combination firstand second hinge members spaced apart longitudinally of said rack, eachof said hinge members including a first hinge element attached to thecar structure and a second 'hinge element attached to the floor rack,each of said first hinge elements comprising an upwardly openpintle-receiving projection, the first hinge element of said secondhinge member including a plate portion extending laterally from saidprojection toward the interior of the car, each of said second hingeelements including a horizontally extending pintle means seated in acorresponding pintle-receiving recess of the pintle-receiving projectionof a first hinge element, the pintle-receiving recess of said secondhinge member being longer than the pintle received in said recess topermit substantial axial movement of the pintle within saidpintlereceiving recess, the pintle-receiving recess of said first hingemember being of substantially the same length as its correspondingpintle, and a projection extending longitudinally from said second hingeelement of said second hinge member and adapted to underlie said plateportion when said floor rack is in vertical position to preventunintended detachment of said hinge elements of said second hingemember.

8. A refrigerator car fioor rack hinge comprising in combination firstand second hinge members spaced apart longitudinally of said rack, eachof said hinge members including a first hinge element attached to thecar structure and a second hinge element attached to the floor rack,each of said first hinge elements comprising an upwardly openpintle-receiving projection, the first hinge element of said secondhinge member including a plate portion extending laterally from saidprojection toward the interior of the car, each of said second hingeelements including a horizontally extending pintle means seated in acorresponding pintle-receiving projection of a first hinge element,means extending laterally from each of said second hinge elements inunderlying relation to the pintle-receiving projection of a first hingeelement during a predetermined angular movement of said floor rack froma horizontal position, a longitudinal extension carried by the secondhinge element of said second hinge member and underlying said plateportion of the first hinge element of said second hinge member when saidr floor rack is in vertical position to thereby prevent uninextensionunderlies said plate tended detachment of the hinge elements of saidsecond hinge when said floor rack is raised to vertical position, saidpintle-receiving recess of said first hinge element of said second hingemember being longer than the pintle means which it receives to permitlongitudinal sliding of said last-mentioned pintle means along saidlast-mentioned recess whereby said extension may clear said plateportion to permit upward vertical movement of said last-- mentionedpintle means 9. A refrigerator car floor rack hinge comprising incombination a first hinge member and a second hinge member spaced fromeach other longitudinally of the car, each of said hinge membersincluding a first hinge element fixed to the car structure and a secondhinge element fixed to the Hour rack structure, the first hinge elementof each of said hinge members including a projection having a cup-likeupwardly open pintle-receiving recess, each of the second hinge elementsof said hinge members including a pintle member receivable in acorresponding pintle-receiving recess of a first hinge element, thepintle-receiving recess of said second hinge member being longer thanits corresponding pintle to permit substantial axial movement of saidpintle within said pintle-receiving recess, the pintle-receiving recessof said first hinge member being of substantially the same length as itscorresponding pintle, a plate portion extending laterally toward theinterior of said car from the pintlereceiving projection of the firsthinge element of said second hinge member, and a projection extendinglongitudinally from the second hinge element of said second hinge andadapted to underlie said plate portion when said floor rack is invertical position to prevent unintended detachment of said hingeelements of said second hinge member.

10. A refrigerator car floor rack hinge comprising in combination firstand second hinge members spaced apart longitudinally of said rack, eachof said hinge members including a first hinge element attached to thecar structure and a second hinge element attached to the floor rack,each of said first hinge elements comprising a projection having anarcuate outer surface and including a cup-like upwardly openpintle-receiving recess having an arcuate pintle-supporting surface, thefirst hinge element of said second hinge member including a plateportion extending laterally from said projection toward the interior ofthe car, each of said second hinge elements including a horizontallyextending pintle means seated in a corresponding pintle-receiving recessof a first hinge element, said pintle means having an arcuate outersurface, a wing portion extending laterally from each of said secondhinge elements, each wing portion including an inner arcuate surfacespaced radially outwardly of said arcuate outer surface of said pintlemeans, said wing portion of said second hinge element of said secondhinge member having a longitudinal extension underlying the arcuatesurface of the cup-like projection of said first hinge element of saidsecond hinge member, said longitudinal extension underlying saidlaterally extending plate portion when said floor rack is in verticalposition to thereby prevent unintended detachment of the hinge elementsof said second hinge member when said floor rack is raised to verticalposition, said pintle-receiving recess of said first hinge element ofthe said second hinge membar being longer than the pintle means which itreceives to permit longitudinal sliding of said last-mentioned pintlemeans along said last-mentioned recess whereby said extension may clearsaid plate portion to permit upward vertical movement of saidlast-mentioned pintle means.

11. A refrigerator car floor rack hinge comprising in combination firstand second hinge members spaced apart longitudinally of said rack, eachof said hinge members including a first hinge element attached to thecar structure and a second hinge element attached to the floor rack,each of said first hinge elements comprising a projection including anupwardly open pintle-receiving recess, the first hinge element of saidsecond hinge member'including a plate portion extending laterally fromsaid projection toward the interior of the car, each of said secondhinge elements including a horizontally extending pintle means seated ina corresponding pintle-receiving recess of a first hinge element, thepintle-receiving recess of said first hinge element of said second hingemember being longer than the corresponding pintle which it receives topermit substantial axial movement of said pintle within saidpintle-receiving recess, the pintle-receiving recess of said first hingeelement of said first hinge member being of substantially the samelength as the corresponding pintle which it receives, a wing portionextending laterally from each of said second hinge elements, each wingportion including an inner arcuate surface spaced radially outwardly ofsaid pintle means, said wing portion of said second hinge element ofsaid second hinge member having a longitudinally extending projectionunderlying said laterally extending plate portion of said first hingeelement of said second hinge member when said floor rack is in verticalposition to thereby prevent unintended detachment of the hinge elementsof said second hinge member when said floor rack is raised to verticalposition.

12. A refrigerator car floor rack hinge comprising in combination firstand second hinge elements for attachment to the car structure and to thefloor rack structure, respectively, said first hinge element comprisinga projection including an upwardly open pintle-receiving recess, anabutment extending from said first hinge element toward the interior ofthe car, said second hinge element including a horizontally extendingpintle means received in said pintle-receiving recess, means extendingfrom at least one surface of said second hinge element and underlyingsaid projection during a predetermined angular movement of said floorrack from a horizontal position, and an extension carried by said secondhinge element and underlying said abutment when said floor rack is in avertical position to prevent upward vertical movement of said pintlemeans from said pintle-receiving recess, said pintle-receiving recessbeing longer than said pintle means to permit longitudinal sliding ofsaid pintle means along said recess whereby said extension may clearsaid abutment to permit vertical movement of said pintle means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,161,923 Haseltine June 13, 1939 2,254,356 Dwyer Sept. 2, 19412,672,645 Ingram et a1. Mar. 23, 1954

